An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is an integrated computer-based system used within a company, or other business entity, to record transactions, share information, and manage internal and external resources at the company. A typical ERP system has a software architecture. A general goal of the ERP system is to facilitate the flow of information between all the business functions within the operational boundaries of the company. Another general goal of the ERP system is to consolidate all the business operations throughout the company into a uniform and company-wide ERP system environment.
An ERP system might reside on a centralized server, or it can be distributed across modular hardware and software units which provide services and communicate on, for example, a local area network. Generally, the ERP system is built around a centralized ERP system database and typically utilizes a common computing platform. A distributed ERP system design allows a company to assemble modules, possibly from different vendors, without the need for placing multiple implementations of complex, expensive computer hardware and software systems within areas of the company which will not utilize their full capacity. However, this distributed type of ERP system design may also increase the likelihood of a partial ERP system failure at one or more of the individual modules.
In an implementation of a new ERP system, such as in the replacement of an old ERP system, a company often seeks the help of an ERP system vendor or a third-party consulting firm because of the complexities involved in the transition steps needed to carry out the implementation or replacement. Generally, in the replacement of an old ERP system with a new ERP system, the new ERP system and the old ERP system are not run concurrently during the transition due to the cost of collecting and processing data in dual systems and the risks relating to data integrity which are inherent in running two ERP systems simultaneously. The process of transitioning between ERP systems ordinarily takes a period of multiple days in length. This period is often referred to as an ERP “black-out” period. However, during an ERP black-out period, a company can still have a need to operate and, as such, generate business data which may be lost or otherwise jeopardized due to the lack of a functioning ERP system during the ERP blackout period.
A similar situation can arise if an ERP system at a company is temporarily incapacitated or otherwise becomes inaccessible to a company. This type of circumstance can occur when the ERP system at a company breaks down due to a system failure, a security breach, or some other intervening circumstance. This type of black-out period can be short in time or of a longer length. Despite the circumstances by which an ERP system is temporarily non-functional, the business needs to be able to perform its business functions during the black-out period. Also, data generated by a company during any type of ERP black-out period needs to be preserved. Furthermore, this business data needs to be incorporated into the ERP database of the company ERP system once it becomes functional again. Or in a related circumstance that occurs in a transition between an old ERP system and a new ERP system which replaces it, the business data generated during the black-out period needs to be migrated into the ERP database for access by the new ERP system.